Christmas tree stand



Feb. 14, 1956 E. w. FRITZ CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed Oct. 3, 1952 IN V EN TOR. WI [22/ T2? ATTOQNEK v United States CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Elwood W. Fritz, Lynwood, Calif.

Application October 3, 1952, Serial No. 312,927

9 Claims. (Cl. 240-10) This invention relates to improved stands or base structures for supporting and bracing Christmas trees in upright condition.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a stand which is adapted to positively and effectively support a Christmas tree, and which at the same time is so constructed as to itself comprise a base decoration for the tree, to thus eliminate the usual necessity for covering or hiding the stand. This efiect is achieved by forming the stand to have a pleasing appearance, and then mounting on the stand one or more electric lights, which illuminate the stand and tree base in a manner supplementing the decorations on the tree itself. The stand may have a figured portion carrying a typically Christmas design, with a light so positioned as to especially illuminate the design. A most pleasing etfect is achieved by forming a portion of the stand of a light-passing material, such as a transparent plastic, and positioning the light within a recess in that lightpassing portion. The figure may then be carried by a wall of the light-passing portion of the stand and illuminated by light from within the stand.

Particularly contemplated is a unique arrangement in which the stand has a number of supporting legs, which themselves carry and preferably contain the electric lights. Each of these legs may be attached at an inner end to and project outwardly from a central body memher, on which the lower end of the tree is supported. The legs are desirably formed of a transparent externally figured plastic material, and are illuminated by lights insertible into the legs from their inner sides.

Certain specific features of the invention have to do with the preferred manner of construction of the stand body, and its relation to the supporting legs. In this connection, the stand body desirably contains an upwardly facing recess within which the lower end of a tree trunk is receivable, and carries screws or other elements which are tightenable laterally against the tree trunk to accurately position it. The legs may be attached to the body for vertical swinging movement, and have upper portions bearing against and laterally bracing the trunk at a location above the stand body. 7

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a Christmas tree supported by a stand embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the stand and taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged vertical section through the central body member and one of the legs of the stand and taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have shown at 10 a Christmas tree supported in upstanding condition by a stand 2,734,993 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 assembly 11, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. The stand assembly includes a central body member 12 on which the trunk 13 of the tree is supported, and a plurality of supporting legs 14 (typically three). The stand body member 12 and its legs 14' are preferably all formed of a transparent, fire proof, and unbreakable rigid material, which is desirably a suitable resinous plastic material such as XF Lucite, made by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc., Wilmington, Del.

The central body member 12 of the device is essentially circular and of cup-like upwardly opening formation, having a bottom horizontal wall 15 and a circular upstanding side wall 16. As seen best in Fig. 3, these walls form a recess in the upper side of body 12' within which the lower end of the tree trunk is receivable. At the bottom of this recess, bottom wall 15 has an upper horizontal surface 17 which is engaged by and supports the bottom of the tree trunk. The inner surface 18 of side wall 16 is cylindrical and extends upwardly from the bottom of the tree trunk receiving recess.

When the device is in use, a body of Water 19 may be filled into cup-like body member 12 about the tree trunk, to provide a moisture supply for the tree. The trunk is centered and retained within body member 12 by adjustment of a number of circularly evenly spaced adjusting screws 21, which extend horizontally through and threadedly engage side wall 16 of the body member; These adjusting screws may have outer wing type ends 21 for facilitating their adjustment without the use of tools.

The supporting legs 14- of the stand are pivotally mounted to body member 12' at circularly evenly spaced locations for vertical swinging movement about individual horizontal axes. Each of the legs is mounted for such pivotal or swinging movement by a horizontally extending pivot pin 22, which passes through an inner and lower portionof the leg and a pair of spaced lugs 23 projecting outwardly from body member 12 at opposite sides of the leg. The legs extend essentially in vertical planes, and are shaped and decorated to take the form of a suitable scene or figure associated with Christmas. My preferred design for the legs is one in which each of the legs represents a Santa Claus, as shown.

structurally, each of the legs comprises a pair of spaced planar vertically extending side walls 24- whose periphery defines the outlines of the desired figure, and a peripheral wall 25 extending between the edges of the side walls. These various walls of the legs are formed of a transparent material as previously discussed. To the opposite side walls 24 of each leg I apply a pair of translucent colered Santa Clauses or other designs, which may be applied as decalcomanias, or by the silk screen process. In similar manner, a white or other translucent coating may be applied to the peripheral edge 25 of each of the legs. Each of the legs is illuminated by an individual Christmas tree type lamp 26 carried by a small socket 27 and inserted with the socket into the leg (see Fig. 3). The sockets 27 of the three legs are interconnected by wires 129 to form a three-socket string of lights, having a plug 30 connectable into a conventional electrical outlet.

To permit insertion of each of the lamps and its socket into one of the legs, the peripheral wall 25 of each leg is interrupted at a point along the inner side of the leg, to form an opening 28 through which the lamp and socket may pass. Near the location of this opening 28, the leg contains a number of inner partitions 29 extending between side walls 24, acting to support the lamp and socket at the position of Fig. 3 within the leg. These partitions are discontinuous or perforated above and beneath the ice lamp to permit upward circulation of air past the lamp. For this same purpose, peripheral wall of the leg has openings along the top and bottom of the leg for passing an upward draft of air. Preferably one of these openings along the upper edge of the leg (typically the opening designated 30a) is so positioned that the leg may be individually suspended (after disconnection from body 12 by removal of pin 22) by a hook or other element received within that opening, and when so suspended is properly balanced to hang in a desired upright position, for use as a window decoration or the like.

As to the manner of supporting body member 12 from the legs, it is noted that when the stand is in use, body member 12 is supported above the floor surface 31 on which the stand is resting. The lower edges of legs 14 extend angularly downwardly and outwardly from body member 12, and engage the floor 31 only at locations 32, which are spaced outwardly a suitable distance beyond pivot pins 22. At a location spaced above body member 12, each of the legs has a preferably pointed portion 33, which bears laterally against and digs slightly into an upper portion of the tree trunk. As will be understood, by virtue of the structural relationship of the body member and legs, the force exerted downwardly against the body member by the weight of the tree tends to pivot the legs about their pins 22 in a manner urging upper portions 33 of the legs inwardly against the tree trunk to positively laterally brace and accurately position it.

When the lamps 26 within the legs 14 are energized, they serve to illuminate the translucent and colored Santa Claus designs in a manner attaining a very pleasing visual effect.

I claim:

1. A Christmas tree stand comprising a structure to be positioned on a supporting surface and carry a tree in upstanding condition, said structure including a body for engaging and supporting the lower end of the tree trunk, a plurality of hollow individual legs extending outwardly in different directions from the body, the individual legs being formed of a light passing material and having translucent figures formed on the walls thereof,- individual electric lights contained within said hollow light passing legs and illuminating said translucent figures, and means attaching said legs to said body for essentially vertical swinging movement relative thereto, said legs having portions spaced above said attaching means for hearing inwardly against and bracing said trunk.

2. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 1, in which said light passing material of the legs forms recesses in the legs opening inwardly toward a tree supported by said stand and receiving and supporting said lights.

3. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 1 in which said light passing material is a fire resistant resinous plastic material.

4. A Christmas tree stand comprising a structure to be positioned on a supporting surface and carry a tree in upstanding condition, said structure including a body for engaging and supporting the lower end of the tree trunk,

a plurality of hollow individual legs extending outwardly in different directions from the body, the individual legs being formed of a light passing material and having translucent figures formed on the walls thereof, said legs being shaped substantially in correspondence with the outline of said translucent figures formed on the walls thereof, individual electric lights contained within said hollow light passing legs and illuminating said translucent figures, and means attaching said legs to said body for essentially vertical swinging movement relative thereto, said legs having portions spaced above said attaching means for bearing inwardly against and bracing said trunk.

5. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 4, in which said translucent figures comprise two similarly shaped representations of Santa Claus formed at opposite sides of each leg.

6. A Christmas tree stand comprising a structure to be positioned on a supporting surface and carry a tree in upstanding condition, said structure including a body for engaging and supporting the lower end of the tree trunk, a plurality of hollow individual legs extending outwardly in different directions from the body, the individual legs being formed of a light passing material and each having two spaced essentially parallel vertically extending side walls shaped substantially the same and having translucent figures formed thereon, said figures covering substantially the entire areas of said side walls, said walls being shaped substantially in correspondence with the outline of said figures formed thereon, said material of each leg forming also a peripheral wall extending between the edges of said side walls and following said outline of the figures, and individual electric lights contained within said hollow legs and illuminating said translucent figures.

7. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 6, in which said material of each leg forms a recess extending into the leg through said peripheral wall thereof from the inner side of the leg adjacent the tree and into which one of said lights is removably insertible.

8. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 7, in which air circulation openings are formed in said peripheral wall of each leg generally above and beneath the light therein.

9. A Christmas tree stand as recited in claim 8, including connections pivotally attaching said legs to said body for vertical swinging movement, said light passing material comprising fire resistant resinous plastic material and forming generally pointed portions of the legs above said connections for beating inwardly against and bracing the tree.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,018 Siebenlist Jan. 8, 1924 2,217,877 Petry Oct. 15, 1940 2,244,101 Dittman June 3, 1941 2,297,191 Parman Sept. 29, 1942 2,604,728 Nudelman July 29, 1952 2,615,660 Haumann Oct. 28, 1952 

